IOL Strength and Conditioning

Dave’s open-heart surgery was February 23, and since that time we’ve gone a little deeper into our search for wellness in longevity, in particular relating to heart health. We looked at the known and suspected causes of clogged arteries (actual names: arteriosclerosis or atherosclerosis), a few of the better known alternative treatments to decrease heart disease, lab tests for heart health, excess iron in the blood, and supplementation for a healthy heart.

To wrap up the overview, let’s consider inflammation, a common link between not only heart disease, but nearly all diseases of aging, autoimmune diseases and many cancers. Add to heart disease the following list, and you’ve got a full pallet: diabetes, arthritis, gum disease, inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Alzheimer’s, asthma, irritable bowl syndrome (IBS), stroke, depression, chronic fatigue, allergies and many more.

Now, I know I’m late to the party on this one, but I’ll bet a good number of you didn’t even read the invitation, so let’s do that now.

Inflammation is a vital part of both our nervous and immune systems; you know it as redness, heat and swelling. Internally it protects us from viruses by raising the heat to eliminate infections. But what happens as we age or pile on the excesses? Our inflammation system gets out of whack, our pro-inflammation outworks our anti-inflammation chemicals and inflammation begins to build up.

This hit home with me, and maybe you, too: I’ve noticed how little it takes to stress me out these days when compared with the volume of stresses I could handle easily in years past.

Now then, remember our discussion of C-Reactive Protein earlier this month? C-RP is a blood marker of all-source inflammation. That’s what the test is looking for: elevated levels of inflammation. If your last blood test showed elevated C-RP, it’s a bleeping alarm that needs your attention.

And another clear indication of systemic damage: gum disease. If you have gum disease and your dentist didn’t refer you to a cardiologist, you need to ask why not. And should the answer not be wholly satisfactory, you need to find not only a cardiologist, but a new dentist as long as you’re out scrounging up referrals.

Now let’s get to work and tease out some anti-inflammatory remedies.

In looking at wellness and longevity, we’re a bit at odds with ourselves as healthy and aggressive weight training enthusiasts. Aging well is about keeping inflammation, immune reaction and stress in balance. Yet in our training we’re all about vigor, aggressive lifting and putting ourselves into continuous inflammation. We’re running our immune system at full tilt, and it’s backfiring as we hit our 50s, 60s and beyond.

In fact, excessive workouts cause inflammation. When you look a little closer, pursuing muscular development too far is not as healthy as we like to think. Over the long term, it’s just another excessive stressor that will more than likely decrease our healthy longevity. I’d say, more than anything, that’s the conclusion I’ve come to during this past couple of months of research into Dave’s arterial disease.

Looks like Mom was mixed up when she said moderation is deadly.

Are there food supplements that will help build cardiovascular strength, prevent cardiovascular disease and reduce the probability of a heart attack or stroke? You betcha.

Let’s take a look at the options.

Numero Uno is not a supplement, but since it tops the list of every known fix for heart disease, we’ll take another sec for the laggers. It’s this: Quit smoking. Seriously, if you’re even half-heartedly reading any part of this website for health reasons, there’s simply no excuse for not taking control of this weakness in your life. Whatever it takes, make this the absolute top priority each and every day until you’ve beaten the cig master. Look, you’re not going to have a magical, life-changing moment that will make this one easy. Just… be done with it.

Top tier of the supplement list, beneficial for wellness features across the board:

# 1 — A good quality vitamin/mineral with no iron, cold-processed, time-released and micro-encapsulated will supply the nutrients lacking in our never-perfect daily diet. A top quality multi is hard to find, so if you review the multi-vitamin you’ve been taking and find it lacking, no sense spending hours searching out a vitamin you’re still not sure you can trust. We trust, take, recommend and sell Super Spectrim.

#2 — Omega 3 oil (especially fish oil and walnuts) is shown to lower resting heart rate, improve nervous system, control heart rate, and lower blood pressure, bad blood fats and inflammation. Your joints will thank you, too, as will your brain a few decades from now.

# 3 — Aspirin lowers inflammation, reduces platelet stickiness and clotting. Take half a regular aspirin or two low-dose baby aspirins (162 mgs daily), unless you have a history of gastrointestinal bleeding, take a blood thinner or have otherwise been advised against it by your doctor. This is a forever thing; it takes three years to get to the full benefit of aspirin therapy. A daily dose of aspirin may also decrease the risk of some cancers.

# 4 — Increase dietary fiber to reduce inflammation, control cholesterol levels, improve blood pressure, blood sugar and weight control. Suggested dietary fiber intake is 20-35 grams per day, yet most of us get about half that, or less. Add up the fiber in an average day’s food and if it’s not topping the 25-gram marker, use a daily psyllium supplement such as Metamucil or Fiber Choice.

# 5 — CoEnzyme Q10 (CoQ10) is a vitamin-like substance beneficial for overall heart strength; it improves heart muscle function and cellular oxygen uptake. It’s VITAL if you’re taking a cholesterol-lowering statin because statins block the production of CoQ10 in exactly the same way they work on cholesterol. If you’re taking a prescribed statin, take 300-400 mgs daily for as long as you stay on the medication. CoQ10 is an antioxidant that positively affects blood pressure, and is also supportive for those with diabetes and cancer.

Second tier for those with a larger supplement wallet or those with known heart disease or higher risk factors:

Many of these supplements are useful for a variety of wellness and heart health issues, but as we delve a little deeper into the individual supplements, it’s helpful to have your blood labwork report handy. Some of these are specific to certain heart disease markers, yet are a waste of money for the rest. Once you know your blood panel, you can zero in on your needs and make a commitment to precise supplementation to counter any inherited or lifestyle problems.

Alpha-lipoic acid (ALA) is useful across the board for what’s now called Metabolic Syndrome, a red flag for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and peripheral vascular disease (PAD). Metabolic Syndrome includes the risk factors of low HDL, elevated C-reactive protein (CRP), excessive abdominal obesity, high triglycerides, high LDL, and elevated blood pressure. ALA is known to prevent the oxidation of LDL cholesterol and free radical oxidation of other cells.

Vitamin E (mixed tocopherols) is a powerful antioxidant that can protect against the development of heart disease as it protects against arterial damage.

Vitamin C works in conjunction with Vitamin E to promote heart strength, and may raise HDL and lower LP(a); use at least 1 gram.

Folic acid (Vitamin B-9) lowers homocysteine and reduces plaque, while modifying cholesterol (raises HDL, lowers LDL), lowering LP(a), fibrinogen and triglycerides, although a full complement of B vitamins may be even more useful.

Calcium assists in heart function among other health benefits.

Magnesium stabilizes the heart’s electrical system; deficiency is common and is linked to elevated CRP and heart disease. You’ll also sleep better if you take magnesium before bedtime, especially on an empty stomach.

Vitamin D lowers inflammation and insulin resistance, and deficiency is also linked to heart disease.

Selenium promotes a healthy heart through better circulation.

L-Carnitine increases energy production in heart tissue.

Hawthorn berry improves all functions of heart muscle.

Anti-inflammatory herbs including ginger and turmeric lower CRP and improve circulation.

MSM (Methyl Sulfonyl Methane), a sulfur, lowers inflammation throughout the body, and is also beneficial for joint pain.

Policosanol lowers LDL and may increase HDL at 20mg daily dosages.

Green tea lowers LDL, aids in blood vessel health and lowers triglycerides.

Niacin (Vitamin B3) reduces LDL and raises HDL when used in higher doses. However higher doses — the 1,500-2,500 mgs needed to make a serious difference — usually cause uncomfortable flushing that’s hard to tolerate. The flushing may be lessened by taking the niacin about 20 minutes after eating or after your daily aspirin. If you decide to try high-dose niacin and discover it does the trick on your LDL/HDL cholesterol, you’ll need to add regular blood tests for liver function and need on-going medical overview.

Pomegranate juice or extract promotes a healthy cardiovascular system via its antioxidant activity, by building nitric oxide, normalizes blood pressure and, apparently, even decreasing clogged arteries. There’s also new research ongoing in cancer prevention with pomegranate.

Beta Sitosterol, known more for prostate health than for heart health, may lower cholesterol and inflammation. The use for prostate relief is well known and researched; its use in treatment of heart disease has not yet been well researched.
Lutein, known to prevent macular degeneration (keeps your eyes healthy as you age), is the newest vascular protection supplement shown to protect against arterial damage. New research is now under way, however as a sure-fire eye health protection, you may as well add this to the mix now and enjoy dual benefits.

Guggul Lipid is an ancient Indian extract from a resin that may reduce cholesterol and inflammation, act as an antioxidant and reduce platelet aggregation to make blood thinner. It also reduces insulin resistance and is used as a modern-day fat burner. However, there’s also some negative press about this one; some of the studies have not been repeated successfully, and, in fact, some have shown negative lipid profiles by actually increasing LDL cholesterol. About 10% of guggul extract users develop skin rashes almost immediately after beginning with the supplement. There are enough negatives on this one to inspire caution; don’t try it unless you’re planning to do blood work both before starting and at about the six-week mark.

There’s one more I’d be remiss if I left it off: red rice yeast extract. It’s a natural statin that works just like the prescription your doc probably gave you during your last checkup. The thing is, it’s not regulated like pharmaceuticals and you need to be certain of the manufacturer. Some of the red rice yeast extract products are less precise in production since supplement manufacturing may not be as standardized as prescription drug manufacturing. If you decide to try it, beware of its use because it works the same as statins — that is to say, you MUST use supplemental CoQ10 with it. That said, it’ll almost definitely lower your LDL cholesterol.
That’s quite a long list, and not fully fleshed out. The purpose here is to outline a starting point for your research, rather than document the pros and cons of every heart-healthy supplement.

Your take-home message is this: Start at the top and make haste slowly, getting your bloodwork done several times a year to determine your progress or setbacks. Review your lab results, make careful notes and adjust your supplement regime to match your needs. This is truly the only way you’re going to find the precise ingredients that will keep your blood pumping for your long, healthy life.

And say, it’s personal. Your spouse needs to do it, too, as does your mom, or your dad. And each will probably need a different plan than you. Luckily, the top tier works for all of us.

Excessive iron intake from Dave’s higher-than-average beef consumption is one of the elements that keeps popping up in my continuing search for the cause of Dave’s arterial blockage. There’s some cause for concern, but the good news is the testing is easy and the fix simple. In fact, I almost hope this is the cause, because it means the search for the origin of his heart disease is over and the long-term solution at hand.

Here’s what I discovered. You’ll find variances here, and as with the other heart health markers we’ve discussed, you’ll need to uncover your own place in the findings.

First and what I consider most important: Don’t over-react to hyped-up media reports. Most of us are completely safe because our bodies absorb what’s needed and no more.

The problem arises when there are excessive amounts, over-absorption or a defective metabolism caused by a genetic disorder that affects approximately 10-15% of the population. Absorbed iron does not get excreted like most other vitamins and minerals, and is instead stored forever in body tissue and organs; the only way to get rid of a toxic amount of iron is through blood loss.

We’ve all heard of anemia, and who doesn’t remember Geritol, the old-guy treatment for “iron poor blood”? But the fact is, too much iron is more common than too little, and, amazingly enough, there are multiple types of anemia, most of which are caused not by too little iron, but by too much. Who’da thunk?

Too much iron causes fatigue and joint pain, and increases the risk of arthritis, heart disease, stroke, some cancers, cirrhosis of the liver and Type 2 diabetes.

The usual first symptom, fatigue, is the same whether too much iron is the cause or too little, a clear signal that we need a blood test before we self-treat.

Let’s add iron to the blood tests to request during your next physical, specifically, serum iron, TIBC (total iron binding capacity to check saturation) and serum ferritin. These results will tell you and your doc whether you have high iron absorption and need to be concerned with your dietary habits — or indeed need to get aggressive with your blood draws — or, on the other side of the spectrum, need to up your iron-rich foods.

Note: if you have high iron absorption, it’s likely your blood relatives do, too. Give ‘em a clue.

Recommended dietary intake (RDA) of iron, assuming no anemia and no excessive absorption, is 7-27 mgs per day, around 7 mg for children to a high of 27 mg for pregnant women, the average being 8-10 mg for men, and for women 18 mg for menstruating, down to 8 mg after menopause.

Now, if you take a look at that, you’ll see it’s pretty easy to get that in an average Western diet. For instance, nine ounces of beef about does it; your daily iron needs are met right there — everything else is excess.

For certain this means men and menopausal women do not need iron in our vitamin/mineral supplements, and we don’t need iron-fortified breakfast cereal, either.

A couple of people have asked about the iron in their beloved liver tablets, and I think the answer should be (you’re gonna hate this)… it depends. If your iron absorption is normal, there’s no cause for alarm — you get to keep your splendid supplement. However, if you happen to be one who over-absorbs iron or your iron level is high, this is seriously bad juju and I’m sorry to say you’ll be going off liver, fresh or tablets doesn’t matter, at least until you get the iron in your body reduced. Blood donations are in your future, and, in fact, you may need a doc’s prescription for blood-draw overkill to speed up the process.

Regular blood donations are allowed once every 56 days. This gives the body time to replace the red blood cells. However, in people with excess iron this process takes less time, and for them more frequent blood draws are in order because the iron will continue to accumulate with regular food intake. The idea is to draw often enough to deplete the iron, which may be as much as weekly for a few months in extreme cases. As long as the red blood cells replenish that quickly, the iron is still too high.

Let me say again, excessive iron accumulation is not rare. But it’s not altogether common either, and in any case, it’s easily fixed. The trick is discovery (through a simple blood test), followed by treatment (blood draw and attention to lowering iron-rich food intake).

Dave’s got an iron test coming up next week, and I’ll ask to get mine tested with the labwork for my next physical exam.

Take home message for you: Get a blood test; don’t use a vitamin/mineral with added iron unless you’re pregnant or menstruating; give blood a few times a year to reduce iron, mercury, pesticides and other toxic chemicals circulating in the bloodstream. Vitamin C increases absorption of iron — separate your Vitamin C from your meals unless you’re under-absorbing iron.
And, of course, if you’re diagnosed anemic, disregard all the above.

Over the past few weeks we’ve fleshed out the thin mainstream cholesterol hype and discovered a thing or two about heart health in the process. Now, for the benefit of the early adopters, let’s get a bit edgier and move off the range, if only just a little.

Both of Dave’s docs said there’s currently nothing that clears blocked arteries roto-rooter-style available now or even close on the horizon (other than starvation, which apparently does work), but in today’s blog post we’ll do a drive-by glance at some of the alternative solutions that may be gaining traction.

I’ve mentioned before my appreciation for our sharp-as-a-tack Now Foods rep, Ed Fry, a guy who’s been in the health supplement industry for about 40 years. He tapped me on the shoulder again this week after reading an earlier blog entry wherein I blamed the iron in beef for a significant portion of Dave’s heart disease woes. Ed points out that while the iron is definitely a factor that needs to be addressed, it may be the arachidonic acid, an omega 6 fatty acid, (yes, I know it sounds like something spidery) found in conventionally grown grain-fed beef. We’ve talked about grass-fed beef any number of times, but then it was for the omega oil variance, up to 20:1 omega 6 over omega 3 in the conventional vs the healthier 1:1 found in the grass-fed meat. Apparently some of us are ultra sensitive to arachidonic acid, also known as the pro-inflammatory fat, exactly what we don’t need circulating around our arteries. Solution to this one? Grassfed beef.

As early as 1992 Linus Pauling’s “unified theory of cardiovascular disease” pointed to a vitamin C deficiency as the main cause (and alternatively, easiest cure) of heart disease. Now, of course we’re not surprised; wouldn’t we expect this from him? Still, what if it’s that simple? His prescription: high dose Vitamin C (6-18 grams), plus 3-6 grams of the amino acid L-Lysine.

Here’s an odd one that may have merit. There’s a *chance* a couple of ounces of pomegranate juice a day may reduce arterial blockage. It’s still a tiny bit out there, but gaining traction and at least the scoffing isn’t as loud as would be expected. The studies were funded by POM, the main growers of pomegranate orchards here in the United States, hence a grain of salt bit.

There’s another one that’s farther out there — but heck, who knows: EDTA (Ethylene-Diamine-Tetra-Acetate) chelation. Chelation therapy — intravenous infusion — has been around for decades, used to treat lead poisoning and for the removal of metals. It’s one of the examples Dave’s surgeon used to reference quack treatments, yet after Dave’s surgery we did get a few email messages from people who had positive experiences with it, in particular improved circulation and heart function.

We see some talk about a pneumonia strain (Chlamydia) that’s often present in heart disease, and that an antibiotic taken early enough may prevent future problems. Particularly for people who fly a lot, where dead air is reused (gross as that sounds), I guess that could be an issue.

When heart disease runs in a family, there’s now discussion of genetic variations, not simply a family tendency toward high Lipoprotein (a), or whatnot, but actual mutant genes. Wow, that’s a million miles over my head, but still, it’s interesting to know this work is being done, and that it’s probably not too far off before each one of us really will be able to self treat for heart disease.

One more thing? And this isn’t off the range at all, really, and there’s no question that it’s true: Stress causes heart attacks and heart disease. You really have to find ways to lower your stress reactions if any of this reading is going to do a lick of good. Reducing stress will go farther in keeping heart disease at bay than all our various mainstream and offbeat suggestions combined.

Get ‘er done.

Let’s finish with a link to a very thorough, well researched article from National Geographic called Mending Broken Hearts, where much of our recent conversations are addressed.